At least 13 killed in fishing boat-tanker collision in South Korea

South Korea–At least 13 people were killed when a fishing boat collided with a 336-tonne tanker and capsized off South Korea’s west coast today.

According to South Korea’s coast guard two others were missing however the search and rescue operation is said to be continued. The chartered fishing boat, the Seonchang-1, was being travelled by 20 passengers and two crews during fishing at the time of capsize. BBC News reports that the footage from the scene showed the upturned boat being searched by divers and the Navy helicopters and dozens of ships were taking part in the search southwest of Incheon, near Yeongheung Island.

7 people were rushed to hospital for treatment. The captain of the 10-tonne fishing boat also went missing, according to one report from AFP news report. There were no reported injuries on board the 336-tonne fuel tanker. South Korean news agency Yonhap reported the collision happened nine minutes after the boat departed from the shoreline, possibly as the two vessels passed each other under a bridge.
“There’s no specific problem related to weather conditions, sailing reports or other (pre-departure) preparations,” a coast guard official informed reporters. “We are investigating how the accident happened.”

Cold water temperatures may also have contributed to casualties, the official guesses. The accident is believed to be the worst in South Korea since 15 people died on a fishing tour near Jeju in 2015 accident.The year before, a passenger ferry capsized and more than 300 people died, most of them school children on an outing.

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